Outcome of dental implants in diabetic patients with and without cardiovascular disease: A 5-year post-loading...

To investigate the outcome of immediate function of dental implant rehabilitations in diabetic patients with and without coexisting cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

This retrospective study included 70 diabetic patients (33 females and 37 males, average age: 59 years old), rehabilitated with 352 implants and divided into two groups (CVD: 38 patients; non-CVD: 32 patients). Diabetes mellitus was defined as fasting plasma glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/l (126 mg/dl) or 2 h plasma glucose ≥ 11.1mmol/l (200 mg/dl). The data was retrieved from patient records. Primary outcome measures were prosthesis and implant survival; secondary outcome measures were marginal bone loss and complications (biological or mechanical). The follow-up was 5 years after loading for all patients.

Seven patients (10%) were lost to follow-up (one patient in the CVD group; and six patients in the non-CVD group). One prosthesis failed in the non-CVD group, rendering a 97.4% survival rate, compared to 100% in the CVD group (non-significant difference between groups; P = 0.359). Ten implants failed in 7 patients: CVD group with eight implant failures in 5 patients (86.7% cumulative survival rate) versus two implants in 2 patients in the non-CVD group (93.8% cumulative survival rate) with a non-significant difference between both groups (P = 0.365). The average (95% confidence interval) marginal bone loss at 1- and 5-years was 0.95 mm (0.66 mm; 1.23 mm) and 1.52 mm (1.20 mm; 1.88 mm), respectively in the CVD group; and 0.78 mm (0.40 mm; 1.16 mm) and 1.54 mm (0.86 mm; 2.31 mm), respectively for the non-CVD group; with no significant differences between groups at 1 year (P = 0.979) and 5 years (P = 0.300). Complications occurred in 38 patients (CVD group: 21 patients; non-CVD group: 16 patients); with a non-significant difference between both groups (P = 0.660).

Implant rehabilitations represent a valid treatment for diabetic patients with or without coexisting CVD, with a good risk/benefit ratio.